Australian Heritage Angoras
Australian Heritage Angoras are a registered breed with the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
In 2004 the Rare Breeds Survial Trust of Australia wrote:
The Australian Heritage Angora is Australia’s most significant endangered goat breed. With only three registered breeders and less than 150 purebred animals remaining, the future of this breed is uncertain. Having a history that is different to any other Angora around the world, RBTA strongly encourages support for the preservation of the registered Heritage Angora that has doucmentary evidence of its ancestry from Australia’s first registered Angora stud: the Banksia herd.
The Australian Heritage Angora has a unique history. Its history is different to that of the Texas Angora of USA and the South African Angora, both of which have come to dominate the Australian mohiar industry over the past two decades with their higher yielding fleeces. With only three dedicated, small scale breeders remaining, the Australian Heritage Angora is at risk of being lost.
The Australian Heritage Angora is worthy of our attentions and support and needs an action plan put immediately in place to ensure its ongoing survival. Whether it is preserved to honour the quality and distinctiveness of its unique fleece or as a living treasure - a reminder of Australia’s unique pioneering hisotry - the Australian Heritage Angora is uniquely Australian and accordingly needs to be preserved.
from RBTA’s Paddocks & Perches Vol 4 No 5 October 2004